Improve Your Ride and Handling Balance | Mercedes Upgrades
There are two types of people in this world when it comes to Mercedes upgrades. Those who want a more comfortable ride and those who want a sportier ride with more handling. When it comes to driving your car, only you know best what type of ride you want. If you have to travel long hours on a bumpy road then you would definitely want a smoother more comfortable ride. However, if you travel short distances around a lot of twists and turns you will definitely want a more stable ride with better handling.
Mercedes vehicles are designed to satisfy a wide variety of individuals, as such you might not always enjoy how your vehicle handles or its suspension. If this is the case you should definitely consider getting Mercedes upgrades to improve the performance of your vehicle to your standards. The average commuter might not require intensive upgrades because often just replacing the factory standard components can improve your cars stability and handling. However, perhaps you want something more from your car. Firstly, we will look at what Mercedes upgrades you can get to make your ride sportier and improve handling. Secondly, we will look at what Mercedes upgrades you can get to make your ride more comfortable.
Types of Upgrades to Give Your Ride Better Handling & Grip
Do you want a sportier ride which offers you more control and stability where you can freely take corners and feel the road as you drive? The good news is you can have upgrades done to your Mercedes which give you just this. Here we take a look at a few upgrades which will greatly improve your vehicles stability and control.
- Stabilizer Bars: Often referred to as strut bars, this component is an after-market accessory is used to increased stability and make the car feel stiffer when you’re taking a corner. Bars are strategically placed inside the framework from one end of the car to another. This reduces the vehicles center of gravity and distributes the weight from one side of the vehicle to the other while cornering which leads to better stability and less swaying.
- Torsion Bars: Based off of the same principal as stabilizer bars, torsion bars are attached to the frame of a vehicle from one-side to the other by means of bushings. Once the car takes a corner the torsion bar begins to resist the motion by twisting. This then aids in evenly distributing the vehicles weight which gives more stability to the ride.
- Suspension: By stiffening your cars suspension you improve its handling response and sensitivity. Stiffer springs can also increase tire temperature which allows for better road traction. The trade-off of having stiffer springs is that you reduce the ride quality for the driver, so you would feel bumps and potholes more than normal.
- Larger Rims and Tires: Increasing the size of your rims and tires not only looks good but improves your vehicles stability and gives you a shorter braking distance. However, there are disadvantages to increasing your rim size such as increased fuel consumption and, in some cases, slower acceleration. A more cost-effective method with less drawbacks includes reducing the profile of your tires to allow for better stability.
- Coil Overs: This is also referred to as shock absorbers. Most factory car’s shock absorbers are tuned for comfort rather than performance. So, one of the best ways to improve your vehicles handling is by upgrading to after-market coil overs. Most after-market coil overs are adjustable which makes it even easier for you to tweak your ride to meet your specifications.
Types of Upgrades to Make Your Ride More Comfortable
If you don’t want to feel every bump in the road and are willing to sacrifice stability for comfort then there aren’t many Mercedes upgrade options available to you however these options could give you a smoother and more comfortable ride.
- Suspension: Shocks are the primary component which affects the quality of your vehicle’s ride. By softening the shocks and springs in your vehicle you won’t feel every little bump on the road and you are bound to have a more comfortable ride. The trade-off is that by softening these components you decrease your vehicles sensitivity, traction and handling. However, there are many professional suspension kits available which help overcome certain trade-offs.
- Bushings: Bushings are connector units which isolate the chassis from the suspension. Just as there are different ratings of springs and shocks there are also different ratings of bushings. Rubber bushings absorb more vibrations and thus provides you with a more comfortable and softer ride. The trade-off of using rubber bushings is that they wear more easily than other types.
- Sway Bars: Sway bars use the same principal as stabilizer or torsion bars and thus increase handling and stiffness of a vehicle. Should your vehicle have a sway bar you could consider replacing it with a smaller bar to reduce the stiffness and increase comfort.
Whether it be increasing your cars handling and grip capabilities or increasing the level of comfort of your ride there are a larger amount of Mercedes upgrades you can perform to your vehicle. Just remember that car manufacturers make cars to satisfy a wide variety of people, so if you’re unpleased with how your car is handling or how comfortable the ride is then be sure to visit professional Mercedes upgrade specialists so that they can better assist you in making your vehicle more than just a standard vehicle but a personalized ride which satisfies your wants and needs.